ROBBINSVILLE, NJ - (January 27, 2017) - Mercer County Superior Court Judge Paul Innes Friday ruled the 225-acre Edinburg Village parcel - commonly referred to as Washington Woods - was a public use and permitted Robbinsville Township to post the verified appraisal amount with the court to obtain legal title to the property.

Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried will dedicate the land to Open Space.

The Township and Washington Woods, LLC are in negotiations regarding the final purchase price. Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes has pledged Robbinsville $2 million toward the acquisition.

Township residents voted overwhelmingly on November 8, 2016in favor of ballot Question #3 to increase the Open Space Tax levy by 1.5 cents for every $100 of assessed value in order to help purchase and preserve Edinburg Village/Washington Woods and the Miry Run Golf Course. The winning margin, including provisional ballots, was 4,609 to 2,457.

"This is a enormous win and a proud day for our town,'' Mayor Fried said. "Raising taxes is never something I take lightly, and I would not have enlisted the support of Township Council, not to mention our residents, if we did not think this was absolutely the right thing to do. I am very confident this will save our taxpayers money down the road."

Preservation of the Edinburg Village property via condemnation takes on added significance due to its location. It is adjacent to one of Mercer County’s agriculture project areas and is part of a swath of preserved farmland at the intersection of Robbinsville and West Windsor townships. It also is adjacent to land preserved by West Windsor to the west and across the street from a 153-acre farm preserved by Robbinsville.

“The County is pleased to be able to partner with Robbinsville to accomplish the preservation of this property,’’ County Executive Hughes said. “It is our hope that farming will continue and that valuable bike and pedestrian connections be made to nearby neighborhoods and schools.”

Since taking office in 2007, Mayor Fried has preserved over 825 acres of open space.